ADHD private prescription woes

[knackeredcat]

Hi all, after being diagnosed in April and having to take steps to lower my blood pressure, etc. I now have a prescription for Equasym XL which I hope to have shortly so I can begin taking them on Monday.

I took it round to my local Boots last night - they'd never seen anything like this before, suggested I'd have to pay again (I've already paid £105, thanks), suggested it was only the diagnostic consultation I'd paid for, other customers overhearing, and am embarrassed to say I had a mini meltdown when I couldn't download the invoices from the Psychiatry UK portal to prove I'd already paid as there seemed to be a technical issue at their end. So I left without my meds and anxiety about the same thing potentially happening at other chemists. Did anyone else face this when trying to get your meds?

I know there are various apps, etc. where NHS repeat prescriptions can be delivered to your home but as this is titration medication is there any such scheme for a private prescription? Anything where I can upload the prescription and send on the hard copy? I really don't have the time or energy to chase round a load of local chemists to come away empty handed - I need these soon as I've been a disorganised anxious mess the last few weeks and am getting worse.

Really sorry I'm not sure but my daughter is on adhd meds titration with psych-uk and they themselves send the meds direct to our door - could they do a similar arrangement for you if you let them know the problems?

Thanks @lubeybooby - I didn't know they could do that as it wasn't made clear in my case notes. I'll follow that up with them as I like the thought of them being delivered with minimum hassle.

My son currently has a private prescription for a similar med as we wait for NHS approval of his diagnosis and treatment plan. Our Dr sends us a paper prescription by post every month and our local Boots fills it,no problem.

It costs £44/month, however, on top of all of the other private checkups and admi fees, because private prescriptions aren't NHS subsidised.

I had a private dentistry prescription (just 2 tablets), took it to one pharmacy who wouldn't fill it and questioned it but then the next pharmacy were great and just charged me for the medication.

Unless psych-uk has an agreement with Boots, then private prescriptions need to be paid for at the pharmacy. Can you call them today and ask what is going on?

I pay £130 pcm for prescription and £40 for it to be issued

From reading their website, I don't think the medication cost is covered:

"If you are a private patient, there is one variable cost over which we have no control: the cost of the medication charged by a pharmacist during titration. We will provide you with private prescriptions for the medication sent by recorded delivery. You are likely to need between 2 and 5 private prescriptions during titration but you may require more. A full outline of the fees related to ADHD are explained on our fees page under the heading ‘ADHD Fees‘."

The £105 is for the prescriptions and reviews, not for the meds.

Of course you have to pay Boots. You having paid someone else is irrelevant, they are separate companies, Boots need to be paid for what they provide.

You wouldn't walk into sainsburys and say "I don't ha e to pay for these carrots because I paid Tesco for some and they didn't deliver them."

You have to pay the pharmacy for the drugs, in addition to paying the psychiatrist the £105 for the his prescribing.

Try a supermarket pharmacy, they’re usually the cheapest.

Pretty insensitive to scoff at the OP for getting this wrong when it’s precisely the kind of mix-up or misunderstanding that ADHD symptoms can make more likely.

It does sound like you’ll need to pay, OP, but try to go easy on yourself about it. You’ll get it sorted and it’s impressive that you’ve already jumped through various hoops, got your blood pressure down (I am trying to do this myself now, for different reasons, and it’s really not easy) and got to this point.

I don’t think anyone here is scoffing, well I certainly wasn’t. I have ADHD and i’m up against all of this myself at the moment.

Lemon is right, on the 'ADHD Fees' page is doesn't give an explanation that titration doesn't cover the meds cost. When you've already paid a fortune for assessment, it's no wonder you might be surprised at yet another cost.

starfish was scoffing, and clearly hadn't bothered to check the psych uk website.

We had ds2 assessed privately for adhd due to the long waiting times. He was due to transition to secondary so we didn't feel he could wait any longer' he had been waiting g for over a year and we were told possibly another 18mth to 2 year wait.

We paid £40 for each of the prescription, then £89 for the actual medication at the pharmacy (different strengths) then a month later another prescription charge and another 109 again different strengths to the pharmacy.. after 6 months I got him moved to shared care with camhs and gp. But it was a struggle. So his meds and checkup are now done through NHS.

All in it with assessment, private prescription, medication costs and follow up appointments at the private clinic (mandatory if we wanted the medication) it cost just over 2k.

Meanwhile his twin brother was on the same medication as had his assessment 2 years early through NHS so paid nothing.

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies.

Yes, admittedly I didn't know that I'd have to pay extra on top of the £105 already paid as it isn't clear on the Psychiatry UK website. But if I was properly clued up, organised, thorough, etc. I probably wouldn't need the meds in the first place @LemonJuiceFromConcentrate and @CorrBlimeyGG, thanks for understanding - it's been a huge minefield where things aren't always abundantly clear

I've just come off the phone to a local pharmacy who deliver daily - they'll pick up my script and deliver my 10mg meds by tomorrow for around £45 (TB), then there will be another cost for the 20mgs next week. Ouch. But I've come this far and will hopefully be transferred to NHS dispensing after my end of titration review in December.

These can't come quickly enough.

Private prescriptions do cost market rate instantly of the NHS charge. However the price will vary. If there is a generic instead of branded version, shop around for that. I once handed back a private prescription at one pharmacy and got a list of others around to call for the generic one. Cost a third of the branded price.

*(TBC)

Thanks @Usuallyhappycamper - will definitely bear that in mind.

Yes, shop around for private script.
The NHS has a flat charge, and the dispensing fee is also paid directly to the pharmacy. Private private script charges are related to the cost of the drug and may have a dispensing fee added . It does vary between businesses and supermarkets are not always cheaper. One company had a policy of never charging less than the NHS fee. Can't remember who that was.

I recently cashed a private cardiology prescription in at the Lloyds pharmacy in Sainsbury’s, it cost £7 and thus was cheaper than if I’d had it prescribed on the NHS.

Both my private cardiologist and private psychiatrist have recommended supermarket pharmacies over high street ones for affordability.

When we were paying for private prescription and meds for DS after his ADHD diagnosis, we also shopped around and found some were better value. Also make sure you find out who usually has it in stock/can get it quickly - and set a reminder to re-order way before you run out.

I can recommend this pharmacy delivery service. I don't know him personally, but the pharmacist used to run my local pharmacy. Really helpful and patient too.

home-pharmacy.co.uk/pages/about-us

That's so annoying for you OP, hope it gets sorted ASAP.

For when you do finally get shared care prescribing on the NHS, you probably already know this or already have it, but just in case - NHS pre-payment certificate. £10 direct debit every month which covers however many prescriptions you need.

I mention it because I'd been paying per prescription for decades and it was only three years ago that a chemist said 'did you know you can get the pre-payment certificate?' . Saved a fortune because I get a few prescriptions a month.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/save-money-with-a-prescription-prepayment-certificate-ppc/

Just confirmed - local pharmacy will deliver tomorrow for £37.50. Another hurdle navigated!

Op I’d start soon communicating with your Gp if you are expecting a shared care script in December. There are forms your psych needs to send that detail what each party in thr “ share “ does etc. Some areas the hospital do not do this sort of prescribing it’s held with the adhd nhs service so you’ll need a referral to that if that is the case